Yesterday

Yesterday morning was nice (see post below). Then I went to work in the afternoon and that was ok. Yesterday evening though left a bit to be desired.

It started when I got home and decided to ride Prize to prep her for a show Saturday. I saddled her up and hopped on. That was good for me. I have this thing about getting on where I tend to hesitate and fuss for a bit before I get on. But I hopped right up and was congratulating myself on my bravery when she stepped forward. Her left front foot went down on an empty pop can under some hay. Imagine a horse crushing a pop can that you can’t see. Sounds like someone shot a gun off unexpectedly. But she didn’t do anything. For a split second I thought everything was going to be ok. Then she lifted her foot off of it and it crackled again. That convinced her that yes, in fact, she was having her left front foot attacked and she blew up.

I fell off about halfway down the arena. It didn’t hurt. I just sat there for a few minutes getting my bearings. Then I decided to get up and get back on. It was a freak accident and I wasn’t even shook up about it. While I was congratulating myself on this bit of bravery (I really must stop doing that because it seems to mean disaster is about to strike), I stepped forward with my left foot and it didn’t seem able to bear my weight anymore. Even worse there was a bone grinding sound that I hate to hear in my patients and it turns out I hate it even more when my body is making it.

So I’m standing in the middle of the arena unable to walk and quite perplexed about what to do next. The husband was out of town but even if he wasn’t he would have been in the house and no help. I didn’t have a cell phone on me. (Note to self – buy one of the cell phone armbands you’ve been thinking about buying for when you ride.) I could slide along by standing on my right foot and moving my toes to the right and then my heel to the right. Repeat ad nasueum. I got to Prize and hoped to use her as a crutch but I couldn’t move as fast as her even if she just took one step. So I stripped off her saddle and bridle and left her in the arena. She didn’t want to be left but I eventually got out of the arena and found a shovel. I could lean on the shovel and that helped a bit with the toe-heel shuffle I was doing. It took me about 45 minutes to get to the garage. My cell phone was in my car. So I got in the car. I used my weed whacker to push a package I had left on my car hood onto the floor. I started driving to the hospital.

I called C., who used to take care of Rosie, to come over and catch Prize and feed both the horses. When I got to the hospital there were all these big signs that said that the new ER entrance was open so I followed them and pulled up to the door. I called information and got the number to the ER. I called the desk and said that I couldn’t walk and asked for a chair to be brought out. They said ok. Five minutes later no one had come so I called back. They said they couldn’t find me. I said I was at the new ER entrance. They told me that that wasn’t open and that I should go to the ambulance area. So I drove over there. They came out and said that I couldn’t park there. I said ok, get me a chair and follow me to where I park the car. They said no. If I needed to park I had to drive to the front of the hospital and they would send someone.

I went to the front of the hospital. A lady strolled out eventually and started rearranging wheelchairs in front of the doors. At this point I started muttering that I was glad that I wasn’t bleeding to death in my car. She came over and said (you guessed it) that I couldn’t leave the car there. But she was willing to wheel me in and then go park my car. So finally I got to the ER.

Now, I came straight from the barn. I was wearing lace up paddock boots, riding tights, and a t-shirt. The only thing I took off was my helmet. My whole left side was covered with dirt. I got triaged and then sent out to register. The triage nurse had to knock some dirt off my arm to take my blood pressure. Then when they took me to a room I had to get my riding clothes off. Not so easy. But luckily I went swimming a few days ago and had shaved my legs. That would have been embarrassing because they were really bad. And yes, I was wearing clean underwear.

I got to x-ray and had to get on the table. Not so easy. The positions for the xrays weren’t fun either. By this time I was really tired. About 2 hours had gone by since the fall and I had spent most of it trying to get to the hospital. So I almost fell asleep waiting for the xrays.

Turns out that I fractured my pelvis. That’s strange because that is not what hurts at all. My thigh hurts. But that must just be muscle pain. You don’t do anything for a broken pelvis. I’m supposed to be on crutches for a week or so. Here’s the catch. They don’t give you crutches at the hospital. They give you a list of places to get crutches in the morning.

Ok, so I have to go home by myself while still not able to walk. I called C. back to see if they had any crutches at home. Her mom is a nurse and is going to get me some today. She was also going to come over this morning and feed the horses. I used the railing to haul myself up the three steps into the house. I did the heel-toe thing to get to the dining room where the husband’s grandmother’s cane had been left after she died. That helped some but she was 5 feet tall so it didn’t work well for me. I collected a magazine, a pitcher of ice tea, my pain pills, and my cell phone and got to the recliner. I called my boss to say that I wasn’t coming in on Thursday and to rehash all the gory details with an appreciative audience. Then I tried to call the husband. The phone answered and hung up twice. Then it was shut off. So I called my mother for sympathy.

At 11:30 I remembered that I have rolling desk chairs so I heel-toed over to the computer room and got a chair. They don’t roll well on carpet but it was better than nothing.

This morning I called the husband’s office and got the number of the company that he was meeting with. I called there and got them to let me talk to him.

Let me tell you he got a piece of my mind then. He did his meeting quickly and is heading home now. He called me back and said that last night his phone kept trying to dial me and he kept stopping it because it was late and he would get in trouble for calling me so late. So he shut off the phone. It was probably redialing after I was getting cut off trying to call him.

Meanwhile C. came back and got the husband’s grandmother’s wheelchair from the upstairs bedroom so I’m mobile. My pelvis is starting to hurt a bit but my thigh is still the main problem.

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9 Comments

I thought I sprained my leg; after pain in my thigh, back, etc. for a few weeks, I went to the dr., was x-rayed, and learned my pelvis was broken in two places, healing ok, no trt. 3 mo. later I still have problems; pressure on my right hip is murder when I get up. How long before I heal enough to sit on a chair normally without getting a lot of pain upon walking when I get up?

Ouch! A fractured pelvis? You kept your calm pretty damned well, getting yourself to the hospital and all. The hospital, however, is stark raving mad. Now I understand why the hospitals around here offer valet parking. 😛 (it seemed like such a silly thing when I read about it initially)

Are you feeling better, at least? Your more recent posts seem like you’re mostly out of pain?

Brandy

OMG, what a disaster. That hospital is terrible. Pls write the CEO and let them know the experience. Imagine if an elderly person had to deal with such incompetence. I’m surprised you kept your cool. I’m a wuss, so I would have lost it.

Oh my goodness. I am glad that you are not hurt any worst than you are. I know you must be in some bad pain. I fell down the stairs once and hurt my tail bone. It took forever to heal. I hope you feel better soon.

I’m supposed to get xrayed again in 2 weeks. I should just be hobbling around for a little bit. The only riding restriction they gave me was, “stay off the horse for a few days.”
The next time a client stares at me in disbelief when I say that they need just cage rest their dog with a broken pelvis I can say that they don’t fix simple pelvic fractures in human medicine either!